Lorna Dušek and the Spirit of Elaine
by QuotethTheRaveneth
Summary: Year 1. Lorna Dušek was just your average everyday witch. She never thought that she would ever be anything special. That is until one day a spirit comes to her begging for help. Will Lorna and her new friends be able to save her or will it be too late?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Well, it's been a while. I've been working on this story for a few months and finally got around to finishing the first book. This book series will be centering around Lorna Dušek, a girl who never imagined that she would be going on are be apart of a journey like this. The main plot of the Harry Potter series will not come into play until the fifth book and Lorna will have little to no connection with any of the main plot lines of the main storyline. The first four books will be centered around building Lorna as a character and creating relationships for her that will help her find out who she really is and how much the world truly needs her._

_I read the Sorcerer's Stone while writing this so that I could get timing down as best as I could. However, I did have to change school scheduling just slightly._

_This series will eventually go into darker themes, such as depression, self __harm, and maybe attempted suicide. If you are easily triggered, I would ask that you please do not read this series. It will also go into certain relationships that others might be offended by. So if you are easily offended, I would like to ask you not to start this series._

_Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please favorite, follow, and review, so that I may know whether or not I need to change anything._

Chapter 1  
>THE GIRL WHO LIVED<p>

The large town of Cokeworth had never been an interesting place. Several residential homes stood parallel to each other, each one looking exactly the same. Small slanted roofs with tall unused chimneys lined the skies, all a very faded shade of green. The streets had a dark and eerie feeling to them, as the fog began to settle on the pavement, the walkways completely devoid of life at this ungodly hour. The only sound that could be heard was the flowing of the dirty river just outside of this boring town.

The small house on the edge of Spinner's End was also nothing so special. Inside sat a man with greasy black hair, preparing a sleeping draught for himself. As he stood looking into the cauldron, his large nose peeked out through the cover of his hair. His black eyes looked tired, and lacked any sort of emotion as he began to crush a root in a mortar and pestle. If this man had been seen in public, he would've also been considered not so special. When in fact, he was probably one of the more interesting people in Cokeworth.

His name was Severus Snape.

After he'd finished his draught, he made his way up the stairs located at the back of the laboratory. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick black wand, and flourished it, the secret passage in his bookshelf closing shut. The passage had led to a rather cramped sitting room, where the walls were lined with books, all black or brown leather bound. Near the crackling fireplace was a well-worn sofa, an old armchair, and an unsound table. The only other light source in the room was a candle-filled lamp hanging from the ceiling. The whole house had an air of neglect, as though Severus had barely ever been there.

Severus sat in his armchair, and set his sleeping draught next to a cold cup of tea that had been sitting there all day. For he'd not had the heart to eat or drink anything the whole day. He stared down at the newspaper on the table, the "Daily Prophet". The article on the front page, was what had started this horrible day.

YOU-KNOW-WHO IS GONE!

While everyone in the country was celebrating, Severus stayed home, rotting away in his sadness.

The article had details of Lord Voldemort's downfall. However, his defeat had involved the death of Lily and James Potter. James Potter was the one that Severus didn't care for. In fact, he loathed James with an undying passion. It was Lily who had concerned him the most. The most difficult part for him to deal with, was the fact that she'd never had to die. But she was in the way…she would protect her children, Harry and Marie, till her last breath.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud knocking on his front door. He went on to ignore it, wanting to just stay alone. But his visitor had decided to invite himself in, as Severus saw him stroll into the sitting room.

"I thought you'd be awake."

This man was tall, thin, and very old, his long hair and beard making it evident with it's silvery color. His purple cloak swept all the way to the ground, just barely revealing his buckled, high-heeled boots. Though his blue eyes usually sparkled, tonight they were slightly dull as he stared down at the broken man through his half-moon spectacles.

"We need to talk about this, Severus," he said, indicating the little bundle of blankets in his arms.

"There's nothing left to talk about, Albus. I will not take care of the child," Severus snapped, getting up to gaze into the fireplace.

"She needs to stay somewhere. She can't stay with her brother, it's too dangerous. You're the only thing she has."

"Well, I don't care. You can't expect me to take care of _his _daughter," Severus gave him a cold stare.

Albus kept looking at him with the same somber expression. "Severus, she's _her _daughter as well. She needs you."

"You can find someone else to care for her. I'm sure there are many others lining up to take in the child."

"Not just anyone can take care of her. It needs to be you."

Severus slammed his fist on the table, making the old cup of tea on top of it fall and spill on the wood. "Stop, Albus. I'm in no mood for this."

Albus' eyes softened. "I'm sorry, Severus. I know that this is painful," He turned around and started to leave. He stopped and walked back over to where Severus stood, holding out the baby. "Please, just hold her. Look down at her. If your decision is still no, then that's fine. I will leave you in peace."

Severus gave him a questioning look before gingerly taking the small bundle from his arms. He regretted it immediately when he looked down at the small face peeking out of the blankets. It looked so much like her. The shape of her face, her nose, her mouth…even a small patch of red hair at the top of her head. It was like she hadn't died at all and was in fact reborn. Severus lifted a finger and lightly caressed the baby's soft cheek. She stirred a little and moved her hand up. Her tiny fingers wrapped tightly around his larger finger, and that pushed him off the edge, as a few tears fell over the rims of his eyes.

Albus smiled down at the tiny baby in Severus' arms. "Her name is Lorna Dušek."

Severus saw a small golden glint around the child's neck. He wrapped his fingers around what appeared to be a golden chain, attached to a golden heart-shaped locket with a key hole in the center. "What's this?" Severus asked, trying to open it.

"It's a locket that her mother had given her. We've already tried opening it and taking it off, but it's stuck. It's probably charmed."

Severus nodded, caressing the embellishment on the front with his thumb. Severus sighed as he continued to stare down at the sleeping baby.

"I'll take care of her."

"You're sure?"

He stayed silent for a moment before replying, "Yes."

Albus nodded and looked back down at the baby. "Good luck, Lorna."

And that's where Lorna grew up, not knowing who she was, never to know who her parents or brother was, never knowing that witches and wizards all around the country were celebrating her name, her real name, raising they're glasses: "Here's to Harry and Marie Potter."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
>OLIVIA<p>

Nearly ten years had passed since that night when Albus had given Lorna to Severus, and Spinner's End had slowly started to change. The sun always rose at the front of the house, seeping through the windows and bathing the rooms in light. One of these rooms housed a small ten-year-old girl with fiery red hair. The room was very plain and dull. A small bookshelf sat in the corner closest to the door, with a dresser parallel to it. There was a small bed shoved next to the window, positioned perfectly so when Lorna turned her head she could see out into the starry sky as she tried to go to sleep.

As the sun rose a little higher, the light shifted onto Lorna's face. She stirred slightly, then slowly opened her eyes. She let out a sigh as she lifted herself out of bed. This happened every morning. And once she was awake, she could not go back to sleep. So she thought that she would go on ahead and get up. She went to her dresser and put on a green long-sleeved shirt with a pair of denim jeans.

As she tip-toed out of her room, she glanced at the room to the left. The door was still closed, which meant that he was still asleep. She quietly made her way down the stairs, trying her hardest not to make the floorboards creak. She walked into the kitchen and turned on the stove, like she did every morning. She got enough eggs and bacon out to feed two people and began to cook them the way that he liked them.

After they'd finished cooking, she plated them and placed them in the sitting room. She slowly ate her food, as she waited for him to come down. He usually liked to eat with her. Once she was done, he still hadn't come down. She looked at the clock on the wall and it read 10:00 A.M. He must've stayed up later than usual last night, she thought.

She took hers and his plates back into the kitchen, placing hers in the sink and putting his into the fridge. When she closed the door, she noticed a small list stuck with a magnet, titled "Groceries". She'd almost forgot that they were going today. She looked out towards the stairs. He still wasn't up yet. She took down the list and grabbed another piece of parchment and an ink quill.

**...**

_I don't want to disturb your sleep, so I'm going to the grocer. I made eggs and bacon for you in the fridge. I should be back within one or two hours. - Lorna_

**...**

She placed the note under the magnet she'd gotten the list from. She quietly went back up to her room to put her socks and shoes on before walking out the door. She took the spare key out from under the mat and locked the door. She grabbed her bicycle at the bottom of the steps, mounted, and began peddling across the paved street.

She'd noticed that he needed some Lavender for his sleeping draughts that he made every night. She knew that the only place for her to get it was over by the river, so she decided that she would go there first.

She pulled her bike to the side of the road, just beside the river. The river itself was very murky, and gross looking. The only thing that really made it look relatively nice was the lush grass and flowers that blew in the wind. There was also a small willow tree that leaned over the water. Just under the tree was a patch of lavender.

She walked up to the patch and began to tug at the flowers. As she was collecting, she heard a set of voices approaching the river. Curiosity getting the better of her, she turned to see who'd decided to visit. Her eyes widened in panic and she tried to pull at the flowers faster. She heard a small grunt behind her and stopped what she was doing, deciding that the flowers in her hands were the most interesting thing to look at.

"Hey, freak," the girl crudely greeted. Lorna still did not turn her head. The girl smacked the back of her head, "I'm talking to you, freak!"

Lorna gave up, and turned her head to look at her tormentors. It was Olivia and her two other friends, Ava and Jasmine. Ava and Jasmine were sisters, both with black hair cut into a bob, and their faces were very long like a horse'. They shadowed Olivia solely because her family was rich and so she was able to take them anywhere and buy almost anything. Olivia was a mean spirited blonde who was spoiled rotten to the core. Lorna had been going to school with them for as long as she could remember, and they'd been bullying her for as long as she could remember.

"We haven't seen you since school got out, Lorna," Olivia commented. Lorna said and did nothing, "We missed you."

Lorna stared into Olivia's eyes, unable to respond.

"Oh, that's right! You can't talk," Olivia laughed, "Or at least, we don't know if you do or not."

Lorna looked down at the flowers in her hand. Olivia jerked the lavender out of Lorna's hands and threw them to the ground. Lorna stood then, glaring at Olivia. But she still could not say anything.

"Oops," Olivia said, giving Lorna an innocent look, "So, why don't you talk, Lorna? Do you think that you're just better than everyone else? That you're too cool to talk to anyone? Or are you just too dumb, and you never learned how to speak?" Olivia kept walking towards Lorna, herding her to the river. "Or maybe you just don't know what anybody else is saying? Is that it, Lorna? Is it possible for you to be _that_ stupid?"

Olivia poked Lorna's shoulder. Lorna, in an act of defense, pushed Olivia away from her. Olivia became furious, and shoved her with so much force that Lorna fell back into the muddy water of the river. Lorna flailed around, disoriented, before she finally brought her head above the water to breathe. Lorna started to feel tears sting her eyelids as the other girls laughed at her misfortune.

"Aw, is the little dummy gonna cry?" Ava teased.

"Did we hurt your feelings?" Jasmine chimed in.

Lorna fought back the tears as she glared at the small gang of girls. Suddenly, she could feel the water around her start to flow. Lorna looked around and noticed that the water was starting to rise. Her eyes widened in horror. She knew exactly what was going on, and she did not want it to happen. She flailed her arms trying to get the girls to back up or run away, but it was too late.

The water rose up above Lorna, and splashed Olivia and her friends, completely drenching them.

The girls screamed as their flesh became damp with the cool water. For a few moments, they stood there, frozen, unsure of what just happened and how to handle it. Olivia glared down at Lorna, then let out a loud shriek, making her sound like a banshee.

"Look at what you did, you little freak!" Olivia screamed, her hands balling into fists at her sides. Lorna quickly stood out of the water and grabbed her bouquet of lavender, "My mother won't be happy about this!"

Lorna ran away from the scene, throwing the flowers in her bicycle basket, and peddling away from that dirty river. Lorna peddled as fast as she could, her damp hair flopping around in the wind. She did not look back as the tears fell freely from her eyes. She did not stop for anything, deciding that she couldn't go to the grocery store anymore.

When she got back to the house she jerked the flowers out of the basket and threw her bike down onto the side walk. She unlocked the door with her key, and slammed the door once she was safely inside. She stomped into the sitting area, where Severus was sitting in his chair, an empty plate in front of him, reading the _Daily Prophet_.

"I told you to tell me whenever you went out. Don't just leave a note," he said, lowering the top half of the paper.

She threw the lavender onto the table. There was a long awkward silence of them just staring at each other. Lorna could feel the tears sting her eyes, and she raised her hands in front of her. The ruby on the ring that she wore on her right hand began to glow and golden letters appeared in front of her hands as she signed.

"_Why can't I be normal?_"

And with that, Lorna turned and ran up to her room. That was the reason why she never talked. the reason why everyone made fun of her. Why she didn't have any friends.

Lorna Dušek was mute.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
>TRIP TO DIAGON ALLEY<p>

It had been two weeks since the incident. Lorna would barely leave her room. She came out to cook meals and clean the house, but that was it. Most of the time she would sit down on her bed and read the different adventure books that she had on her shelf, getting lost in lands that were worlds better than the one that she lived in. She heard a knock on her bedroom door, and looked up to find Severus looking down at her from the doorway.

"Are we going to talk about what made you so upset?" he said.

She simply shook her head then looked back down into her book. Severus sighed. Even though he hadn't wanted to take in the child, he did still care about her. He hated it when she was upset. He hated it when he would come to visit her at the end of the school day just to find her crying in her bedroom. He wished that there was some way to help her. To make those children stop tormenting her for being different. He'd been through the same thing, after all. But some children were just mean-spirited, and there was not much he could do besides try and comfort her.

"You're going to have to leave your room, eventually," he told her.

She just continued to read her book and shrugged.

"An owl finally brought your letter."

That made her look up, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open, any sadness she had completely forgotten. He smirked, he knew that might excite her. He held out an envelope sealed with the Hogwarts wax seal. She reached out and took the letter from him, hastily opening it and reading the contents inside. She didn't necessarily have to open it, she already knew what it said. But she was simply too excited.

**...**

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY  
><strong>**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
><strong>(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms. Dušek,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

**Minerva McGonagall  
><strong>**Deputy Headmistress**

…

Lorna looked up from her letter and smiled anxiously up at Severus.

"_Did you send the letter yet?_" she signed excitedly.

"Yes," he answered, "We should go to Diagon Alley sometime soon. You can use my books from my first year, so we won't need to spend the extra galleons. However, we will still need to get your equipment, wand, and we'll also need to get you fitted for your robes. We should go before July 31st since that's when I'll need to be at the school, and you're going to have to go with me."

Lorna nodded before signing, "_Can we go tomorrow?_"

"Anxious, aren't we?" Severus joked. He nodded, "We'll go tomorrow. Hand me the shopping list so I can go gather your books from the shelf."

Lorna dug the list out of the envelope and handed it to him. Once he'd left and gone down the stairs, she smiled down at her letter and hugged it to her chest.

She would finally be somewhere she could make friends. She'd finally be accepted for who she is. She'd find herself. She won't need to be afraid anymore.

…

They had an early start the next morning. Lorna quickly made breakfast and practically swallowed the food whole, she was so excited. Once she had placed the dishes in the sink, she ran to Severus and quickly signed.

"_Can we go yet?_"

Severus sighed. "Yes, but you still need to get dressed."

Lorna looked down and blushed. She was still in her pajamas. She ran back up stairs to put on her wizarding robes. Her robes were black with silver buttons, the top button had a jewel that was an alluring blue color. She snapped the last button at the top of her neck and promptly hurried down the stairs.

"_I'm ready._" she excitedly signed.

Severus held out his hand to her, and she gulped audibly. She knew what was about to happen, and she hated it when they had to do it. Apparition. She remembered that she'd vomited the first three or four times Severus had done it. She stared up at him cautiously.

"Oh, come now, you'll have to get used to it eventually," Severus said, irritated.

She stared at his hand then hesitantly placed her hand there. She felt herself get twisted, and she felt herself turn as they apparated. She opened her mouth, trying to scream. But she remembered she couldn't speak. Once they'd reached Diagon Alley, she let go of his hand and leant down on her knees. She knew that she wasn't going to throw up, but the apparition still took a great deal of strength out of her.

Severus reached down and pulled at her shoulder, making her straighten up. She immediately forgot her pain as they walked through the Alley. It had been years since the last time she'd been here, so she'd forgotten how much of a wonder it was.

The sun's light reflected off of a tower of cauldrons, each a different size, color, and shape. She heard a soft hooting from a dark building with a sign hanging by the door that said "Eyelops Owl Emporium". She turned her head and saw a bunch of boys around the same age as Lorna pressing their noses against a window, looking at the new Nimbus Two Thousand that had just come out not too long ago.

Finally, at the end of the Alley, they reached a white building that towered high above the other shops. A goblin, dressed in a scarlet and gold uniform and about a few inches shorter than Lorna, bowed to them as they opened the bronze doors to go inside the bank known as Gringotts. They were faced with another pair of doors, silver this time. On the door was a poem, engraved into the surface:

Enter, stranger, but take heed  
>Of what awaits the sin of greed,<br>For those who take, but do not earn,  
>Must pay most dearly in their turn.<br>So if you seek beneath our floors  
>A treasure that was never yours,<br>Thief, you have been warned, beware  
>Of finding more than treasure there.<p>

Another pair of goblins bowed to them as they'd finally entered the bank. The vast marble hall was filled with hundreds of goblins sitting on high stools behind tables that were dozens of feet long. They were scribbling notes in their gigantic ledgers, weighing galleons, sickles, and knuts in small brass scales, and examining various jewels through funny looking eyeglasses. There were other doors leading off the hall, and other people were being bowed in and out the doors as everyone went about their business. Severus and Lorna reached the counter.

"We've come to withdraw some money out of a vault," Severus said to the goblin sitting behind the tall podium.

"Who's safe are we talking about?" the goblin inquired.

Severus turned and glanced at Lorna before motioning for the goblin to lean in closer. The goblin complied and Severus started whispering into his ear, placing a small golden key into the goblin's out stretched hand. This happened every time Severus brought Lorna to Gringotts, when he'd needed to get money and convert it to pounds so they could buy her school supplies and other essentials.

"Ah, I see," the goblin muttered, examining the key closely. "Well, everything seems to be in order. Gornuk!"

Severus and Lorna turned to the goblin, Gornuk, and followed him to wherever they were supposed to go. Gornuk opened a door for them and they walked through into the torch lit stone hall. Gornuk whistled and a small cart came up the tracks towards them. Once they'd climbed into the cart, they were off down a winding and sickening route.

Lorna just gripped the side of the cart and focused down on her lap. Once the cart had reached it's destination, she quickly got out of the cart, leaning on the wall slightly to get her motion sickness under control.

Gornuk unlocked the door, and green smoke billowed out, revealing large mounds of galleons, sickles, and knuts. All of it was Lorna's. Whoever her parents were, they left her very well off. Severus pulled out a large pouch and helped Lorna sort through her fortune.

"That should be enough," Severus said after they'd gotten enough for a couple of terms.

Before they got on the cart, Lorna tapped gently on Gornuk's shoulder.

"_Can we go a bit slower on the ride back, please?_" Lorna asked, still looking a little green from the ride there.

"One speed only," snapped Gornuk.

Lorna jumped and nodded her head quickly as she blushed. She got back onto the cart and stuck with her original tactic. Gripping the side of the cart and looking down.

Once they were back outside, Lorna took in a large breath of fresh air to calm her sickness.

"What does your list say?" Severus asked.

Lorna dug into her pocket and pulled out the slightly crumpled paper:

**...**

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY  
><strong>**Uniform  
><strong>_First-year students will require:_

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
>2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear<br>3. One pair of protected gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
>4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)<p>

_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags_

…

Lorna looked up at Severus and signed, "_Maybe we should get my uniform, first?_"

Severus nodded, "Right. Hand me your list, I'll go over to Potage's and Wiseacre's to get your equipment. You go over to Madame Malkin's and get fitted."

Lorna nodded and handed him the list. She looked up above the heads of the many witches and wizards filling the Alley, looking for the sign indicating Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. When she finally found it, she entered through the small door, the bell chiming to make her entrance known.

Madame Malkin, who was a stout smiling woman, greeted Lorna, "Hello, dearie. Are you here to get fitted for your Hogwarts robes?"

Lorna nodded, and Madame Malkin led her to the back of the shop. There was a girl there with a pink face and blonde hair, tied up into pigtails. Malkin stood Lorna on a stool next to the other girl who was also getting fitted for her Hogwarts robes. Madame Malkin slipped a long robe over Lorna's head and began to measure and pin the bottom, trying to get it to the right length.

"Hi," the girl greeted, "Are you going to Hogwarts too?"

Lorna looked at the girl and smiled before nodding.

"I'm excited. My Mom's down at Flourish and Blott's buying my books," she told Lorna. Her voice was very soft and soothing. Lorna thought that she seemed very nice, "Have you got any of your books yet?"

Lorna shook her head in the positive.

"They're all so thick and they're filled with so much information. I don't know how I'm going to remember it all," she said nervously.

Lorna simply nodded again. It's not like she could say anything.

"Do you know what house you want to be in?"

Lorna shook her head.

"I think I'm going to be in Hufflepuff. My whole family's been in Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff doesn't really get that much recognition, though. So, I guess that's a little upsetting."

The rest of the fitting was met with an awkward silence. Finally, Madame Malkin was done, and Lorna stepped down off the stool so she could leave.

"I'm Hannah, by the way," the girl called after her, "Hannah Abbott. Can I have your name, please?"

Lorna turned around and smiled at Hannah before signing, "_My name is Lorna Dušek._"

Hannah's cheeks and ears became bright red. "I-I'm so sorry," she stuttered, "I had no idea that you couldn't…well…I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable."

"_You're fine. You had no way of knowing. I'll see you at school, okay?_" Lorna reassured her.

Hannah's blush went down a little, "Right. See you at school, Lorna."

…

Lorna and Severus sat in The Leaky Cauldron. Severus had just finished eating and was reading the "Daily Prophet". Lorna was slowly eating while looking at her shopping list and making sure they'd gotten everything. Severus had done a good job of buying her all the ingredients she would need for his class that year. He'd also gotten her the equipment and cauldron she'd needed.

After she'd gotten fitted for her robes, she and Severus had gone to go get her wand. Severus had requested that she get an Alder wand. Since she could not speak, she needed a wand that would make it easier for her to do spells without speech. Her wand was eleven inches, alder wood, dragon heartstring, and it was very rigid. She felt proud of her wand.

As she went down the list, she stopped at the last sentence listed:

…

_Students may also bring  
><em>an **owl** OR a **cat **OR a **toad**

…

Lorna felt her insides warm up. She'd always wanted an animal companion. Something to make her feel less lonely. She looked up at Severus. She didn't know if he'd be okay with it or not. Her mouth went dry as she reached out and tapped his hand. He lowered the newspaper and turned towards her.

"_Can I get a pet?_" she signed with trembling hands, "_I promise to take care of it, and I'll try to keep it as far away from you as I can._"

He continued to stare at her, contemplating his answer. He really didn't like animals, and he did not want one in his house. However, it was going to be her birthday here in about a week. And he didn't have the slightest idea what to get her. And if she took care of it, which he knew she would, why would it matter if she got a pet or not.

He'd made his decision, "Alright. Finish your food, we'll go after you eat."

Lorna had never eaten her food faster. After she'd finished, they made their way to the Magical Menagerie. The inside was incredibly cramped and very noisy. The wall was lined with cages of different shapes and sizes. A short woman came to the sales counter when the bell had chimed, indicating their entrance.

She tried to sell them various pets; poisonous orange snails, a giant jewel-encrusted tortoise, black rats that she'd stated were very intelligent, owls, ravens, puffskeins, transforming rabbits, and countless other animals she'd shown them. However, Lorna found her eyes only on one animal.

A fluffy tabby cat. It's fur was thick and brown covered in thin black stripes. Both of its eyes were a different color, one being green and the other being blue. Lorna felt strangely drawn to it as she gazed into it's mesmerizing eyes. Severus glanced over and sighed. He'd been hoping that she might pick an owl or something that could be kept in a cage.

They left the shop that day with a beautiful tabby cat in Lorna's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
>THE SORTING CEREMONY<p>

The next few weeks before school started were eventless. On the thirty-first of July, she and Severus had left for Hogwarts. The weeks after that she spent eating alone in the Great Hall and reading her school books in the library. After Severus had gotten special permission from the Ministry of Magic, he'd started helping Lorna learn her spells so that she could do magic without speech.

Finally, when the first day of school had arrived, she'd stared out the window in the Gryffindor Common Room, waiting to see the students come across the lake.

Finally, when the sky had become dark, Professor McGonagall came to her, telling her that the students would be arriving soon and they needed to go over a plan to get her in the group of first years unnoticed. McGonagall led her through a maze of secret passages and hallways until they reached the Entrance Hall. She opened a small broom closet off to the side and Lorna was shoved inside.

"Wait here," McGonagall said, "I'll tell the students to line up. Once they start going into the Great Hall, run up and join them."

Lorna nodded, and McGonagall shut the door. Lorna waited until she started hearing students shuffle in, excited whispers, and McGonagall welcomed them in. Lorna knelt down and looked through the keyhole. She examined the crowd of first years and immediately recognized Hannah Abbott. She was talking to a chubby boy with blonde hair.

She watched and listened as McGonagall addressed the first years, then left. Eventually, the house ghosts floated in and greeted the new students before promptly being shooed away by Professor McGonagall. She turned towards the students, glancing at the broom closet briefly.

"Now, form a line," she told the students, "and follow me."

As they'd formed a line and started to shuffle into the Great Hall, Lorna opened the door and ran to the back of the line, behind a short boy with black hair.

**...**

The Great Hall was lit by thousands of candles which floated high above four long tables, hundreds of students were already seated around Lorna. On these tables were golden plates and goblets, all shining from the light of the candles. At the top of the dais sat another long table where all the teachers were seated. McGonagall led the students up the stares of the dais and had them line up in front of the teachers' table, facing the students.

The professor placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool a frayed, old, and raggedy wizard hat was placed. There was an agonizingly long silence as everyone stared at the hat. Finally, the hat opened it's mouth (which was actually just a large rip near the brim)and began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
>But don't judge on what you see,<br>I'll eat myself if you can find  
>A smarter hat than me.<br>You can keep your bowlers black,  
>Your top hats sleek and tall,<br>For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
>And I can cap them all.<br>There's nothing hidden in your head  
>The Sorting Hat can't see,<br>So try me on and I will tell you  
>Where you ought to be.<br>You might belong in Gryffindor,  
>Where dwell the brave at heart,<br>Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
>Set Gryffindors apart;<br>You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
>Where they are just and loyal,<br>Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
>And unafraid of toil;<br>Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
>If you've a ready mind,<br>Where those of wit and learning,  
>Will always find their kind;<br>Or perhaps in Slytherin  
>You'll make your real friends,<br>Those cunning folk use any means,  
>To achieve their ends.<br>So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
>And don't get in a flap!<br>You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
>For I'm a thinking cap!"<p>

As the Hall rang with applause and the hat bowed to each of the tables, Lorna felt nerves start to settle in the pit of her stomach. Whichever house she went in would determine her whole reputation and standing in the school, probably her whole life. She didn't know if she was ready for it yet.

Professor McGonagall stepped up beside the stool, unrolling a long scroll with the names of the first years written on it, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she announced. "Abbott, Hannah!"

Lorna smiled as the pink-faced girl stumbled over to the stool. Lorna did hope that they would become good friends over the next few years. Hannah sat on the stool and the hat fell over her eyes.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted after a moments pause.

The table on the far right clapped furiously, as well as Lorna, and the Fat Friar, Hufflepuff's ghost, waved at Hannah as she found a seat at the end of the table.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry" had been the first Ravenclaw and "Brocklehurst, Mandy" had shortly joined him. "Brown, Lavender" became the first Gryffindor of the evening and "Bulstrode, Millicent" became the first Slytherin. The next three boys, "Chambers, Jacob", "Corner, Michael" (who was the one standing next to Lorna), and "Cornfoot, Stephen" went to Ravenclaw. After "Crabbe, Vincent" and "Davis, Tracy" both went to Slytherin, the next name was called, completely catching Lorna off guard since she wasn't entirely paying attention.

"Dušek, Lorna!"

Lorna jumped and stared nervously up at Professor McGonagall. She turned her head and glanced at Severus who merely nodded to her, encouraging her to go get sorted. She slowly walked foreword and sat on the stool. Soon her vision was gone as the hat fell over her eyes.

"Hmm, you are not who I was expecting. Someone full of loneliness, you crave a place of belonging, of friendship. You want a purpose. You want to find yourself," the hat whispered to her, "I could tell you who you are. You have the workings of greatness inside you; you are meant for so much more than you believe. However, you'll have to find that out for yourself. I can only choose a house for you…You belong in HUFFLEPUFF!"

As the hat was lifted off her head, the Hufflepuff table erupted in cheer. Lorna quickly walked down the steps of the dais, excited to join her new housemates. She took her seat right next to Hannah, who reached over and gave Lorna a hug. A strange feeling of happiness spread throughout Lorna's chest. It had been a long time since she'd received a hug from someone.

After "Entwhistle, Kevin" was sorted into Ravenclaw, "Finch-Fletchley, Justin" joined them at the Hufflepuff table, taking a seat next to Susan. "Hopkins, Wayne" and "Jones, Megan" also joined them eventually. And after "Longbottom, Neville", a funny looking boy with large ears, had been sorted into Gryffindor, the same chubby boy who Hannah had been talking to, "Macmillan, Ernest", had also been sorted into Hufflepuff.

However, after "Patil, Padma" had been sorted into Ravenclaw and her twin sister, "Patil, Parvati", had been sorted into Gryffindor, everyone made sure to pay attention to the next name.

"Potter, Harry!"

The whole Hall had erupted into a fit of whispers as the messy-haired boy made his way to the stool.

"Is that really Harry Potter?" Susan asked, trying to get a better look at the boy.

"Who's Harry Potter?" Justin questioned.

"He's very famous," Ernie explained. "He survived the killing curse and got rid of You-Know-Who when he was just a baby! His sister, Marie, also survived, but she's disappeared and no one knows where she is."

"Really? Wow! I hope I get the chance to meet him!" Justin exclaimed.

"Maybe he'll get sorted into Hufflepuff," Hannah said, excitedly, "That would definitely get Hufflepuff noticed!"

"No, Harry's probably not the type for Hufflepuff. He might be in Gryffindor. Maybe Slytherin?" Wayne reasoned.

Everyone sat in silence as the Hat searched through Harry's mind. He was up there for about half a minute until the Hat finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

He'd received the loudest cheer out of all the first years, most of it coming from the Gryffindor table which was on the far left. Lorna let out a laughing breath as she saw red-headed twin boys yelling, at the top of their lungs, "We got Potter!"

"See, I told you," Wayne teased Hannah.

Hannah let out a sigh, and Lorna caught her attention with a comforting smile.

"Stebbins, Alexander" was the next one to be sorted and the last Hufflepuff out of the first years. Eventually, the sorting was completed with "Zabini, Blaise" going into Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and carried the stool and hat out of the Great Hall. Once McGonagall had returned, Albus Dumbldore stood up from his attention-grabbing throne and walked up to the front of the dais. He was smiling widely, with his arms open, happy that all the students had decided to come back to school.

"Welcome," he greeted, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

As he'd sat back down, everyone clapped and cheered. The food had appeared and all the first years gasped loudly. For a few seconds, they wondered if it would be okay to eat it. Being the first to react, Lorna filled her plate with lamb chops, a couple of sausages, roast potatoes, peas, and carrots. Her fellow Hufflepuffs introduced themselves to her, each acting surprised when she'd started signing to them. They asked her excitedly how she'd lost her voice, asking if something heroic had happened to her.

"_I was simply born this way,_" Lorna signed, a little offended by their questions.

"I'm sure she doesn't want to talk about it," Hannah defended her new friend, "We should be more respectful."

"That's amazing!" Justin exclaimed, ignoring Hannah's request, "How do you make those words appear?"

"It's her ring," Susan explained, "See how it glows whenever she uses her sign language?"

"Are there a lot of witches like you?" Justin asked.

Lorna glared at him, "_What's that supposed to mean?_"

Justin's ears started to turn red, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Maybe you should think before you say stuff like that, yes?" Hannah told him.

"I just meant…Are there a lot of witches and wizards who are…mute?"

"Not really," Ernie answered in a portentous manner, "She's apart of the minority. Most witches and wizards who can't speak choose to lead muggle lives because some of them never learn how to cast spells without their speech."

"So, does that mean you can do your magic without speaking?" Megan asked, raising her eyebrows.

Lorna simply nodded.

"That's incredible!" Alexander stated, "Most of us won't be learning how to do that until our fourth or fifth year!"

After everyone had finished their meals, the food disappeared from their plates, making them clean once more. A few moments passed and the dessert materialized in front of them; gigantic blocks of different flavors of ice cream, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs, jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding and many other desserts lined the middle of the table.

Lorna got herself a piece of trifle and a chocolate eclair.

Once the desserts disappeared, Professor Dumbledore stood up to address the students. Everyone became quiet.

"Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore quickly glanced at the red headed twins at the Gryffindor table.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Hooch.

"And, finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

"What could be on the third floor that's so horrible?" Hannah whispered.

"_It must be something vicious if it will kill us,_" Lorna answered.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore cried. Lorna smiled as she noticed Severus get an annoyed look on his face.

The headmaster took out his wand and flourished it, and a long golden ribbon came out of the tip, rising high above Dumbledore and twisting to form words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," Dumbledore said, "and off we go!" And the Great Hall echoed as everyone sang:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
>Teach us something please,<br>Whether we be old and bald  
>Or young with scabby knees,<br>Our heads could do with filling  
>With some interesting stuff,<br>For now they're bare and full of air,  
>Dead flies and bits of fluff,<br>So teach us things worth knowing,  
>Bring back what we've forgot,<br>Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
>And learn until our brains all rot."<p>

Everybody had finished the song at different times, the last to finish being the twins in Gryffindor. At the end of the song, everyone clapped.

"Ah, music," Dumbledore said, wiping the tears from his eyes, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

…

The first year Hufflepuffs followed their prefect, whose name had escaped Lorna. They were led through different passageways and down different stairs until they'd reached a small nook in, what Lorna had recognized it as, the kitchen corridor. They stopped in front of a stack of barrels. The prefect lifted her hand and tapped twice, paused, and tapped three more times on the lid of a barrel(two from the bottom, middle of the second row). The lid swung open, revealing a hidden passageway which they had to crawl through.

"Be sure to remember that, or you'll be drenched in vinegar!" the prefect called out.

They entered a round, low-ceilinged room that was decorated with different types of plants hanging from the ceiling and on the tables and walls. There were windows near the ceiling showing a view of dandelions and grass, revealing that their common room was underground. Over the honey colored, wooden mantel piece(covered in carvings of badgers), was a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, a round and plump woman with red hair and sparkling blue eyes.

The prefect directed them all to the two doors on each side of the Common Room, one leading to the girls' dormitory and the other to the boys' dormitory. After going down another small set of stairs, the girls found their dormitory. There were four four-poster beds all along the circular wall with yellow curtains, and covered in patchwork quilts. There were small circular windows above each bed. The room was illuminated by copper lamps, and copper bed warmers hung on the wall, just in case some one got cold.

Their luggage had already been brought down to their room; Lorna's had to be moved from the Gryffindor dormitories. Waiting on top of Lorna's trunk was her fluffy tabby cat.

"Aw, what a cute kitty!" Hannah exclaimed, walking toward the cat to coddle it.

Lorna tapped Hannah's shoulder to get her attention before signing, "_Her name is Shamira._"

Hannah placed a small kiss in between the cat's ears. "A beautiful name for a beautiful cat," Hannah giggled.

That night, once the lights had gone out and Shamira had cuddled up to Lorna's feet, Lorna had gone to sleep and had a strange dream. She saw a woman with a delicate face, her blonde hair was in a ponytail high on top of her crown and her light blue eyes sparkled with wonder and curiosity as she looked into a mirror. Suddenly, everything became dark and Lorna heard a broken, sad voice:

"Find me…Save me…"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
>LEE JORDAN<p>

Classes had started the next day. When Lorna and Hannah had gone to join their fellow Hufflepuffs for breakfast, they'd received their class schedules from their head of house, Professor Sprout. On their first day, they had History of Magic with the Slytherins, Charms with the Ravenclaws, and finally Herbology with the Gryffindors.

History of Magic was easily the most boring class Lorna had ever experienced. It was the only subject taught by a ghost, Professor Binns. As the class listened to him drone on and took notes, Lorna had noticed that he'd gotten two different historical figures mixed up. When she'd raised her hand and corrected his mistake, using her sign language, it had started a world of problems for her. Millicent Bulstrode had started to "accidentally" trip her or bump into her with enough force to knock her over. Pansy Parkinson, another Slytherin, had also started to tease her, giving her the nickname "dummy" because apparently "she's so dumb, she never even learned how to speak".

During her first Charms lesson, a lot of Ravenclaws asked her how she did her magic if she could not speak. Then, they'd started listing the advantages and disadvantages of her being mute. She didn't mind so much, they were Ravenclaws after all and they thrived on expanding their knowledge. Just as long as they didn't tease her, she was okay with their questions.

Finally she'd attended Herbology with the Gryffindors, which was by far her favorite class. They were more respectful than any of the other houses. Some of them, mostly Hermione Granger, did ask her some questions, but she answered them all the same to the best of her ability.

On Tuesday she'd had her first Transfiguration class with the Gryffindors. So far, she'd found this class the most difficult. After they'd taken a series of long, complicated notes, Professor McGonagall had placed one match in front of each of the students and instructed them on how to change it into a needle. Lorna tried her hardest to flourish her wand in the right way, but she only succeeded in breaking every single match that McGonagall had given her.

After that had been Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins. The class had started with Millicent tripping Lorna and all the other Slytherins laughing at her misfortune. Hannah helped her up and they took their seat near the front of the class. Professor Quirrel made Lorna extremely nervous, but she couldn't place a finger on why. However, her throat would get unbearable dry when she was around him, feeling like she needed a gallon of water to quench her thirst.

After Charms on Wednesday, Hufflepuffs got the rest of the day off, which Lorna usually spent with Hannah and Ernie doing homework in the library. Later on in the night, all first years would go to the top of the Astronomy Tower to examine the various planets and learn the names of the different stars.

Eventually Friday came around. And on this day was the class that Lorna was looking foreword to the most. After shoveling her lunch into her mouth, she'd kept pestering Hannah to hurry and eat so that they could get to Potions Class early. Hannah simply laughed at her.

"Lorna, getting there early won't make the class start any faster," Hannah smiled.

"_I just want to make a good impression,_" Lorna explained.

Lorna had heard over the last few days that Professor Snape was the hardest to please out of all the teachers. She wanted to be one of the lucky few that Severus favored. She knew it would be hard. Not only because she was taking the class with Ravenclaws, which were easily the most intelligent students in the school, but because he would probably want to disguise the fact that he was her guardian. He would not want to make it seem like she was receiving any special treatment.

So far, the class had been going fine for Lorna. However, she'd received her first reprimanding near the beginning while she was taking notes from Severus' lecture.

"Miss Dušek, when I am talking I expect full attention from all my students," Severus scolded, "Five points from Hufflepuff. Don't take notes unless I instruct you to do so."

Lorna's head had snapped up, an expression of complete disappointment evident on his face. Her heart sank a little and she felt a little defeated. She tried to make up for it to the best of her abilities. When they'd gotten out their equipment and ingredients, she'd followed the instructions for the Cure for Boils potion right down to the final letter. When Severus had come to inspect her's and Hannah's potion, he'd let out a sigh and marked something on a parchment.

"Simply average," he decided.

Lorna raised her eyebrows at that, hurt plainly there on her face. She couldn't believe it. She'd tried so hard to impress him, to make him proud of her. Couldn't he at least give her some points for effort?

Finally, the class was over and everyone was gathering up their books and equipment.

"Miss Dušek, if you would please stay. The rest of you can go," Severus called out over the leaving students.

Lorna turned toward Hannah, who was giving her a reassuring smile, "I'm sure it'll all be fine," she said, "I'll save you a seat at dinner."

After Hannah had left, Lorna approached Severus' desk, preparing herself for anything he might say to her.

"Miss Dušek, I hope that you're not expecting any special treatment from me because of our living arrangements," he said, making Lorna's eyes widen, "In order to get ahead in my class and make good marks, you have to work. You have to work hard and succeed in everything that you do."

"_I know, Severus. I just-_"

"Miss Dušek, while we are on school grounds you will only refer to me as Professor Snape," Severus scolded.

There was a small awkward silence before Lorna lifted her hands up, "_Yes, Professor. I understand. I meant no disrespect._"

"Good. I'm glad that we're on the same page," Severus said flatly, "Now, I'm sure you have better, more important things to do, so why don't you go do them."

Lorna nodded before hurrying to put up her supplies and books before quickly rushing out of the classroom.

…

Lorna slowly dragged herself along through the castle. Her heart felt extremely heavy, and her mind wondered into its darkest corners. She began to feel lonely and unloved. She'd never had Severus treat her that way. She knew that he needed to keep up appearances. They couldn't risk anyone finding out that she lived with him. She just didn't expect him to be so harsh, though.

Suddenly, a black boy with black dreadlocks rounded around the corner. He'd bumped into Lorna and grabbed a hold of her, just before she could fall or drop any of her books. He glanced behind himself as he heard approaching footsteps. He quickly put his hand over her mouth, obviously not knowing that she couldn't speak, and hid with her behind a nearby tapestry.

"Where'd that little bugger go?" a man, Lorna recognized as Filch, groaned.

They waited a few more minutes before the boy finally spoke, "Man, that was a close one."

Lorna shoved him away from her before walking out from behind the tapestry, clearly annoyed. The boy ran up and grabbed her hand.

"Hey, look," he explained, "I'm sorry. I just didn't wanna risk you ratting me out."

Lorna raised an eyebrow at him.

He smiled at her. "I'm Lee Jordan, third year Gryffindor," he introduced himself.

She jerked her hand out of his grip before signing, "_Lorna Dušek, first year Hufflepuff._"

Lee's smile became wider, "You're the girl everyone's talking about?"

"_What do you mean?_" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows. People were already spreading rumors about her? But it's only been a week.

"You're mute," he said simply, "Everyone's talking about it. How you can do magic without speaking."

"_I don't appreciate people spreading rumors about me,_" Lorna glared at him. She was already starting to get sick of everyone talking about her being mute.

"They aren't saying anything bad," Lee defended, "Well, except for the Slytherins. But I'm sure everyone will get over it in a week or two."

Just then, the red-headed twins, which Lorna had learned they were Fred and George, ran out of one of the hidden passages to Lee.

"Good, you're okay," Fred said, slapping a hand on Lee's back.

"We thought that Filch had caught you for sure," George let out a sigh of relief, "Come on, Lee, we should probably try and find your spider before Filch does."

And then the twins ran off in the opposite direction. Lee turned back to Lorna and held out his hand for her to shake.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later, Red."

She ignored his hand and signed, "_Red?_"

He pointed at the top of her head, "Because of your red hair. It's kind of hard to miss," he stated, "At least I'll be able to spot you in a crowd, huh?"

"_What makes you think I want to be spotted by you?_" Lorna teased giving him an amused smile.

He laughed,"I'll see you later, Red."

He nodded his head to her then ran off after the twins. Lorna smiled. That had certainly lifted her spirits after a horrible day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
>HOGSMEADE<p>

The room was extremely small, with a wooden door on the southern wall and a small circular window on the eastern wall. A loom was pushed up against the wall next to the window along with a tall mirror that was positioned directly to the left of the gigantic contraption. Yarn and other sewing utensils lay strewn about the floor and on the other pieces of furniture. In a far corner, there were a pile of huge maroon and deep purple cushions serving as a make shift bed.

Laying on top of the bed was the blonde woman that had appeared in Lorna's dream so many nights before. She lay on her stomach with her head in her arms, presumably crying. her golden hair was free from its ponytail and now fell in tight waves down her back.

"Help me…" a sad voice hummed through Lorna's thoughts, "Please…Save me…"

…

Lorna's eyes shot open and she sat straight up, sweat rolling down her temple. She looked up at one of the windows and it was still night, probably extremely late. Lorna brought her sleeve up to her brow and got up to wash her face in the wash bin next to her bed. As she splashed the cool water onto her face, the voice rang through her head.

"Lorna!" it shouted, "Please, find me!"

Lorna's hands shot up to her ears, covering them with her palms.

"Please," the voice begged, "In the library, the restricted section! Go…Now!"

Finally, it was silent. Lorna slowly lowered her hands as a painful throbbing formed in her brain. She glanced around her dormitory and noticed that no one was awake. She was the only one that could hear anything that this woman was telling her. It was after hours, though. Surely, Filch would be wondering the halls, making sure every student was still in their beds. She couldn't possibly leave and risk getting caught.

…

Yet there she was, sneaking around in the halls, making her way to the library. Why am I doing this? she thought. She quickly tip toed through the castle's many walkways and secret passages, her blue bathrobe limply swishing around her feet. Once she'd finally reached the library and stepped over the rope that blocked the restricted section from the rest of the library, she'd realized that she had no idea what she was looking for.

She looked up and down the tall bookcases, wondering what this sad woman wanted her to look for. However, something bright caught her attention. She turned to the bookshelf on the right wall and walked slowly towards it. She reached up and pulled the black hardcover book off the shelf. The book's pages stopped glowing and Lorna read the golden cursive on the front of the book.

_The Lady of Shalott_.

As Lorna started to open the book, to make sense of what was wanted from her, she heard a soft 'meow' next to her. Lorna's head jerked to her left and saw Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, sitting there, looking at her with her yellow lamp-like eyes.

Lorna quickly shoved the book into her robe before turning around and running. She ran as fast as she could, hearing Filch's footsteps not far behind her. However, her sprint was interrupted when she'd run into another person. Before she could fall back, a rough hand reached up and gripped her bicep firmly. Lorna looked up fearfully into the eyes of Professor Snape. Lorna heard rushing footsteps behind her, indicating Filch catching up.

"There appears to be a student out of bed, Mr. Filch," Severus said, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"It appears so," Filch panted, "I can take here to Professor Sprout from here, Sir."

"No," Severus interjected, "I'll take her. I'm sure Miss Dušek and I can have a nice long chat on our way there."

Filch nodded and went about his business. Severus glared down at Lorna and jerked her around behind him.

"Care to tell me what you were doing at this ungodly hour?" Severus asked, turning his face toward Lorna.

Lorna blushed and looked down to her feet, trying to come up with a lie, "_I'd left my wand in the library and went to go get it._"

"Oh, really?" Severus raised an eyebrow, "And you expect me to believe that?"

"_I'm sorry, but it's true,_" Lorna signed, her blush still very bright on her face.

Severus pursed his lips together, "Lorna, this better not happen again. I raised you better than this," Severus turned his face back foreword.

…

After losing thirty points for Hufflepuff, Lorna made her way down to the detention chambers the next day to serve her time. Filch opened the barred door for her and locked it behind her. The room had boring stone walls and a black board, instructing her to take a seat and start copying down sentences. Desks were situated throughout the room, and sharing the detention with her was Fred, George, and Lee.

"Hey there, Red!" Lee greeted brightly.

"So, we finally get to meet you, huh?" Fred said.

"Lee's been talking about you non-stop," George teased, causing Lorna to blush and Lee elbowed him in the side.

"They're just teasing you," Lee reassured her, "Come sit with us."

Lorna complied, taking a seat on Lee's left right behind George. As they continued to copy their lines, Lee and the twins joked and teased with Lorna, asking her questions about her home and what being mute was like. Eventually, they'd started to run out of things to talk about, and the room became dreadfully silent, save for the sound of their quills on the paper.

"Hey," George whispered, glancing at the door, "How about we sneak out of here and go down to Hogsmeade for a few hours?"

Lorna's brows knit together, "_I thought first years weren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade?_"

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean that you can't break the rules and have a little fun every now and again," Fred encouraged her.

"_I don't know,_" she signed nervously, "_Aren't you afraid we'll get caught and get into more trouble?_"

"We've done this a million times," Lee said, putting his stuff in his bag, "We never get caught."

Lorna felt knots begin to form in her stomach, but pushed them aside, deciding that she could handle a little bit of fun. She nodded to them, smiling widely.

"Yeah!" Fred and George cheered.

Fred pulled out a piece of folded parchment and placed his wand on the front, whispering something that Lorna couldn't hear. As Fred and George both looked down at the parchment, which Lorna figured out was a map of Hogwarts, they pressed in a brick on the wall, revealing a secret passage leading out of the detention chambers.

…

"Welcome to Hogsmeade!" Fred exclaimed as he lifted a hatch up leading into, what appeared to be, a cellar.

Lorna was lead up the wooden stairs and into a magnificent sweets shop. There were shelves upon shelves filled with delicious looking sweets, snacks, and desserts. Cauldron cakes, ice mice, and pumpkin pasties particularly caught Lorna's eyes, those being some of her most favorite treats. However, her expression fell whenever she realized that she hadn't brought any money with her. Then again, she didn't know that they'd be sneaking out of the castle. So, she just stood next to the boys as they went about buying dozens of each different kind of sweet.

After that they'd went to Zonko's so that Fred and George could stalk up for their joke shop in the seventh floor bathroom. Lorna saw some pretty odd things in the joke shop, the most interesting to her being the nose biting tea cups. Those seemed like they would cause some interesting situations.

Eventually, they'd made their way over to the Three Broomsticks. Despite her refusal, Lee offered to buy her first butterbeer. When the foaming pumpkin colored drinks were set on the table, Lorna smelled her drink cautiously. She caught a rather strong scent of butterscotch and grimaced slightly. She usually got sick when she drank butterscotch. However, when she took a sip of the confectionary drink, she found herself unable to pull the drink away from her lips. When she'd finally put the empty glass down on the table, the three boys were smirking at her.

"Not many Hufflepuffs get detention," Lee commented, "What did you do that was so horrible, Red?"

Lorna's ears turned pink as she signed, "_I was out after curfew._"

"I'm surprised they gave you such a crummy punishment for that," Fred commented, "Usually they make you go out into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid or something like that."

"_Professor Sprout said that she would go easy on me because it was my first offense,_" Lorna signed, "_But I did lose thirty points for my house._"

"What were you doing, anyways?" George asked.

Lorna bit down on her lip, not sure if she should tell them. She didn't really know much about any of them, so she didn't know if she could trust them just yet. However, she did know that they wouldn't snitch on her. So she pulled the black book out of her bag and set it on the table.

"_I needed to get this out of the restricted section,_" she signed.

"The _restricted section_?" Lee asked raising an eyebrow, "Why would you need to go there?"

She continued to nibble on her lip, "_One of my friends needed it._"

Fred opened it and looked through the pages with George leaning over his shoulder. "Are you sure they needed _this_ book?" Fred questioned, showing Lorna the book's contents, "It's written in an entirely different language."

Lorna jerked the book out of Fred's hands, looking down at the pages with a quizzical expression. How was she supposed to translate this to figure out what that strange woman wanted? The only languages she knew were sign language and english. Lee leaned over her shoulder to get a peek at the page.

"I know what language that is!" he exclaimed, "It's in my Ancient Runes book. That's the language from the Arthurian times, back whenever Camelot was an open wizard and muggle settlement."

Lorna's eyes filled with hope, "_Do you think you can translate it?_"

Lee shook his head, "No, the book doesn't go too heavily into the translations of languages for third years," he explained, "We won't be getting into translations until our sixth year."

"I'm sure there are books about it in the library," Fred reasoned.

"Yeah, maybe we can help you and your friend figure it out," George volunteered.

Lorna just smiled and shook her head, "_Thanks, but I think we'll be fine._"

"Whatever you say," Fred and George said, raising their eyebrows.

…

By the time they'd gotten back to Hogwarts, it was almost time for supper. They entered the Entrance Hall and stopped in front of the Great Hall.

"So, was your first trip to Hogsmeade good?" Fred asked.

Lorna smiled, "_It was the most fun I've had in a while,_" she signed, "_I just wish that I could've gotten some sweets at Honeydukes._"

Fred and George smiled at Lee, whose ears had turned red. He reached into his bag and pulled out a pumpkin pasty, a couple of cauldron cakes, and a handful of ice mice. Lorna raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"I noticed you eyeing these in there," Lee said, opening a pocket in her bag for the sugary treats, "I thought it would be nice to get you some."

Lorna looked down at her feet and blushed, "_Thanks, that was very sweet._"

Lee smiled almost triumphantly then raised his eyebrows as he remembered something, "I also got you this sugar quill," he said pulling a blue feathered quill out of his robes, "It works great if you get hungry in class."

Lorna bit her lip and took the quill out of his fingers, "_Thanks, Lee._"

"No problem, Red."

Just then all the students began to file into the Entrance Hall for dinner. As Hannah walked down the stairs towards Lorna, she raised an eyebrow noticing that she was with the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan. After they'd exchanged a few pleasantries, they went to their appropriate tables.

"Since when did you start hanging out with them?" Hannah asked.

Lorna looked over at the Gryffindor table and smiled, twirling the sugar quill in her hand, "_Since today._"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
>THE LADY OF SHALOTT<p>

It was about five days later, on Halloween, whenever things had started to change in drastic ways for the school. It was definitely starting to get colder and most students took every chance they could get to stay indoors. Everyone's cheeks started to flush with color and all their robes got heavier and warmer. Lorna saw a few students carrying around a jar full of blue flames, which unfortunately for her she didn't know the spell or anyone who would know it.

After her Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, Lorna had gone to the girls' bathroom with Hannah to wash her hands. Lorna had flourished her wand the wrong way, and now her hands were covered in some sort of disgusting mucus.

"I just can't believe that you went to Hogsmeade with them," Hannah said, "Weren't you afraid of getting into more trouble?"

Lorna lifted her hands to her nose and grimaced when she realized she hadn't gotten the smell out, "_Yeah, but we didn't see any teachers and we blended in so well with the visiting students that it didn't even really matter._"

"Still, you could've lost more points!" Hannah scolded, "Don't you _want_ to win the House Cup?"

Lorna glared at the blonde girl, "_I don't even see what the big deal is,_" she signed, "_It's only a title, it's not like we're going to get anything for it._"

"Well, some people feel differently about it," Hannah pointed out.

Suddenly, Hermione burst through the door and took cover in one of the stalls, locking the door behind her. Hannah and Lorna stared sadly at each other as they heard loud sobs escape from behind the door of the stall. The duo slowly walked towards the stall and Hannah knocked softly.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Hannah asked, concerned.

"Go away!" Hermione shouted, "I don't want to talk about it!"

"Are you sure?" Hannah called, "We can get a teacher if you want."

"No, just leave me alone!"

Hannah and Lorna gave each other a knowing look before running off to their Transfiguration class.

…

The Great Hall was decorated accordingly to the Halloween holiday. There were bats flying around the floating jack-o-lanterns, making the light flicker above the students. Lorna had just started to put a couple of sausages on her plate, when Professor Quirrel burst fearfully into the hall, his turban almost falling off his round head. All the students stared at him as he ran up onto the dais and leaned tiredly on the teachers' table.

"Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know," he gasped out before fainting on the spot.

The whole Great Hall erupted in a fit of screams of terror, and everyone tried to get up all at once to run out as far and as fast as they could. Lorna's face had been drained of all color and she felt as though she might faint like Professor Quirrel. Finally, Professor Dumbledore stood up from his chair and shot out several purple firecrackers from the tip of his wand, trying to get everyone's attention.

"Prefects," he projected, "lead your houses back to your dormitories immediately!"

Suddenly, the Hufflepuff prefect, Lorna had learned that her name was Mary Wilde, raised her hand and motioned for the whole of Hufflepuff table to follow her. As they were lead through the hallways, Lorna saw something from the corner of her eye and turned around to investigate.

Standing there, beckoning her to follow, was the woman from her dreams. She was completely white and see through, wearing a circlet and a long flowing dress. She slowly turned around and floated away around the corner.

"Lorna, what are you doing?" Hannah asked.

"_Did you see her?_" Lorna signed, pointing down the hallway.

"What are you talking about?" Hannah knit her eyebrows together, squinting down the hall, "Well, never mind, we have to go…Now!"

Lorna glanced at Hannah then back down the hallway. She broke out into a sprint after the spirit, hearing Hannah call and run after her. As Lorna caught sight of the spirit, she ran faster. They were lead up the stairs and through hidden hallways. Once they'd reached the third floor corridor, they ran into one Lee Jordan, who'd caught sight of them running around and wanted to join them.

"What are you doing?" he asked wide eyed.

"I don't know, ask Lorna," Hannah panted as she caught up.

Lorna looked around, desperately looking for the woman, "_I lost her._"

"Lost who?" Lee questioned, placing his hands on her shoulders and forcing her to look at him, "Lorna, what are you talking about? What's wrong?"

Then, Lorna had caught sight of something else, most peculiar. Severus had entered a lone door at the end of the corridor, looking like he'd needed to hurry. Lorna broke herself free from Lee, deciding that she needed to follow Severus now.

"What's going on now?" Lee complained, raising his hands.

"Lorna, come on!" Hannah called, trying to grab Lorna's robes, "We're going to get in serious trouble!"

When Lorna reached the end of the corridor, she jerked the door wide open and stepped inside. The three students' eyes widened in absolute horror. It wasn't because Severus was giving them the most deadly glare they'd ever seen and his leg was bleeding. It wasn't because Severus had his wand pointed at Professor Quirrel like he was about to kill him. It was because there was a gigantic three headed dog growling behind the professors.

Lee and Hannah let out high pitched, girlish screams as Severus and Quirrel quickly dragged the trio out of the chamber. Quirrel slammed the door behind them and locked it, leaning against it for support. Severus limped foreword giving Lorna a menacing look.

"You're supposed to be in your dormitories!" Severus scolded, "What are you three doing?"

The trio stayed silent, looking down at their feet.

"Never mind," Severus said, limping off, "I'll deal with the three of you later. Quirrel, we have a troll to deal with in the dungeons. I'd advise you to follow close behind me."

"What about that monster in there, huh?" Lee interjected, pointing at the locked door that was banging against the frame because of the infuriated dog, "Shouldn't you be worrying about that?"

Severus turned around and gripped the collar of Lee's shirt, "Get. To. Your. Dormitories. Now!"

And that was enough to frighten Lee into submission. Being surprisingly gentlemanly, he escorted the two Hufflepuffs back to their dormitories in the kitchen corridor. Hannah gave Lorna the silent treatment as they ate their Halloween feast in the common room.

…

The same treatment was given to Lorna the next day at breakfast. She sat next to Hannah as she refused to look at her or greet her. Finally, Lorna decided to break the ice and tapped on Hannah's shoulder. Hannah turned to her, giving off an angry aura.

"_I need your help with something,_" Lorna signed. Hannah raised her eyebrows questioningly and Lorna pulled _The Lady of Shalott _out of her bag, "_Do you know any books that might be able to translate this?_"

Hannah flipped through the pages, with her eyebrows furrowed together, "Where did you get this?"

Lorna looked around, making sure no one was paying attention before signing, "_I took it from the restricted section a few days ago._"

"Are you serious?" Hannah whispered to her, "Lorna, what's wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself expelled?"

"_No. Look, I've been having weird dreams lately,_" Lorna confessed, "_Some girl has been talking to me, telling me to save her and find her. She led me to this book._"

"Is this the same girl you "saw" last night?" Hannah asked.

Lorna bit her lip before nodding.

"Lorna, this sounds serious," Hannah decided, "Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey and get yourself checked out."

"_I know what I saw, Hannah,_" Lorna signed, "_I just need your help. I came to you because you're my best friend._"

Hannah stayed silent for a little while before concluding, "All right, but we have to find someone who's in Study of Ancient Runes. They'd probably know more about this than any of us first years."

Lorna glanced at the Gryffindor table, "_I know just the guy._"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
>ELAINE OF ASTOLAT<p>

It was almost a week before Christmas and Lorna still had no idea what to get anyone or how she was going to get it. The nearest town that she could get anything from was Hogsmeade, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to get into anymore trouble. Most students would send letters to their parents and tell them what to send and who to send it to. Lorna didn't have that. She might be able to ask Severus, but he was probably still very disappointed in her from Halloween.

The next day after Halloween, Severus had cornered Hannah, Lorna, and Lee, telling them that they'd lost fifty points each, and they would be spending detention with him in the dungeons. Hannah had to grade papers, Lee cleaned equipment, and Lorna had to organize ingredients, alphabetically and by effect. Needless to say, Hannah and Lee were a _tad _upset with her.

Lorna then decided that her only option would be to sneak into Hogsmeade, like her, Lee, and the Weasley twins had done a month ago. She plucked up the courage and walked up to Lee at the Gryffindor table, tapping his shoulder gently to get his attention. He turned toward her, giving her a friendly smile.

"Hey, Red," he greeted, "What's up?"

"_I need to get into Hogsmeade to buy Christmas gifts,_" she signed, getting straight to the point, "_Can you help me?_"

Lee looked around and motioned for her to lean in closer. She complied, and he whispered in her ear, "Our last trip to Hogsmeade is this weekend. I'll sneak in with you the way we went last month, okay?"

Lorna looked at him and smiled.

…

Lorna waited outside the one-eyed witch statue for Lee. She was dressed in her usual outer wear, a long black coat with a baby blue beanie. When Lee finally showed up, he placed his wand on the hump of the witch and muttered "_Dissendium_", revealing a small passageway to Hogsmeade. When they'd come up into the cellar of Honeydukes, they snuck up to the main floor, making sure they weren't seen. When they blended into the students, however, all fear of being caught vanished. They could now move throughout the town of Hogsmeade unnoticed.

She decided that she would start by buying Lee's gift first. She told him to wait at Honeydukes while she went to go get his gift. She examined the many shops in the town, her gaze being caught by a sports shop called Spintwitches. Remembering that Lee loved Quidditch (he was even the game commentator at Hogwarts)she decided that this was a good place to find what she was looking for.

She left the shop with a moving Quidditch poster in her hand. She met back up with Lee and they continued on to Zonko's to get Fred and George's presents. She decided to buy them a few of those nose biting teacups she'd seen before for their shop. She got Hannah some enchanted hair ties from the hairdressing salon; they changed color depending on the season and weather. And from Gladrags Wizardwear she bought both Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore's gifts(a red pointed hat for Minerva and woolen socks for Albus).

However, she was stuck on Severus. She had absolutely no idea what to get him. He already had enough potion equipment and ingredients, so that was out of the question. He already had a plethora of books on thousands of different subjects. He did not care for fancy robes or hats. She was at a complete loss.

Looking for inspiration, Lorna entered Dervish and Banges with Lee following close behind her. She looked at all the various items, the sneakoscope catching her eye in particular. However, what was most interesting to her was a pocket watch. It wasn't a normal pocket watch, though; this particular watch showed what mood a person was in and where they were at the time. It would even show a moving picture of the person being tracked. Lorna decided that this would be the perfect gift for him.

The watch she'd picked out was a shining silver, with spiral designs engraved into the surface. She cut off a lock of her hair and gave it to the shopkeep so that he could tune the watch to track her. Sure enough, when Lorna opened the watch, it showed her in the shop standing next to Lee looking into the watch. Her mood: _Neutral_. Where she was: _Dervish and Banges, Hogsmeade_. She paid for the watch and the duo were sent on there way.

"Who's the watch for?" Lee asked curiously.

Lorna smiled down at it before stuffing it in her pocket, "_Someone very important to me._"

…

It was now the day before Christmas break. Everyone who was staying at Hogwarts had to sign a paper that Professor McGonagall passed around. Thankfully for Lorna, both Lee and Hannah would be staying over Christmas break with her. Hannah's mom had to go to work all throughout the break, so Hannah just thought that it wasn't worth it to go home on a holiday that was meant to be spent with family and be home alone. Lee's parents had to go on special business with the Ministry of Magic, so he'd decided to stay and spend Christmas with his friends.

However, Lorna needed them for more than just company. They had made a plan to start translating the Arthurian text she'd found, _The Lady of Shalott._ Once Lee had "borrowed" an Advanced Rune Translation book from a sixth year, the trio had made plans to meet in Fred and George's joke shop in the seventh floor bathroom to begin translating. Lee read out of Advanced Rune Translation, Hannah read Lee's Rune Dictionary, and Lorna wrote down every word they translated into a small leather-bound diary she'd bought in Hogsmeade.

"Okay," Hannah sighed, pointing at the next word, "I think this means 'sadness'."

"What are you talking about?" Lee interjected, "That clearly means 'mirror'. Where did you get sadness from?"

"Because of this curved line here connecting into this zig zag line."

"That looks nothing like the rune for sadness. That little accent between the two lines makes it into 'mirror'."

"No, that's not-"

"Will you shut up over there?" Fred interrupted from behind the sinks.

"Yeah, you're making it hard for us to stock our shop!" George added.

"You know, we're doing something extremely important," Hannah said to the twins.

"Oh really?" Fred asked cheekily raising an eyebrow, "Don't forget who gave you permission to do this in _their _shop."

"This isn't even a real shop," Hannah spat, "It's in a _bathroom_!"

"Well, no one asked you!" George exclaimed.

Lorna slammed her book down, catching the attention of everyone in the room, "_This is going to take years to translate!_" she angrily signed, "_There has to be a better way to do this._"

"Well, did you check to see if they had an English translation of the book in the library?" Hannah asked.

"_Yes, I checked over a dozen times,_" Lorna sighed audibly, "_Why do you think it took me so long to ask you guys for help?_"

"There's no way we're going to get this done within the year," Lee concluded, "We just started translating about maybe two hours ago, and we've only got six words down."

"It's because you guys aren't skilled enough for this," George told them.

"Yeah," Fred concurred, "You two are first years and know nothing about ancient runes. Lee, you just started this year and still know nothing."

"Maybe we should ask the Ancient Runes professor?" Hannah suggested, "Professor Babbling? After all, she is definitely going to know more about it than we will for a while."

"_She won't help us,_" Lorna signed, "_Especially, since the book is from the restricted section._"

"Well, Lorna, I don't think there's anything else we can do!" Hannah snapped, "Why don't you just tell a teacher or someone about you dreams, huh? Why's that so difficult? What's wrong with you?"

Lorna stared at the girl, her eyes becoming glassy. The boys stayed silent, glancing awkwardly between each other. Hannah, noticing that she'd hurt Lorna, brought her hands up to her mouth. Lorna's eyes began to sting from the tears that overflowed from her eyes.

"Oh, Lorna," Hannah began softly, "I'm…I'm so sorry. I-"

Lorna grabbed her books and stormed out of the bathroom. She had a feeling that this wasn't going to be a very good Christmas.

…

"Happy Christmas, Lorna!"

Lorna opened her eyes at Hannah's statement. She sat up, yawned, and rubbed her eyes, glancing down at her trunk at the foot of her bed. She smiled as she noticed the small pile of gifts. She looked over at Shamira and laughed when she'd noticed her playing with a small toy mouse(no doubt sent by Hagrid).

Lorna stretched as she got off the bed to examine her presents. The first one she'd picked up was a maroon wrapped, squishy package. The note read, 'From Molly Weasley' and right under that in messy handwriting was 'and Gred and Feorge'. Lorna let out a laughing breath as she gently tore open the parcel. inside was a knit patchwork sweater with a golden 'L' stitched into the front. Lorna pulled the frumpy sweater over her head, happy that she'd gotten something snuggly and warm to sleep in.

The next package she opened was kind of cylinder shaped, but Lorna could tell that there were thin pieces of something inside. She delicately unwrapped the objects, revealing a new quill set from Professor McGonagall. How very professor of her, Lorna thought. Each feather was a different color, and Lorna decided that she would use the teal one first.

After that, she'd received a box of assorted candies from Lee, quickly shoving an ice mouse into her mouth. She reveled in the cool minty taste as the mouse squeaked audibly from inside her mouth. This was probably the closest thing to a voice that she was ever going to get. She'd also received a thin black headband from Hannah, 'to keep that mess of red hair out of her face'. The headband was stylishly accessorized with a small white bow on the left side. Lorna happily shoved it onto her head.

Lorna read the small note on her next package:

**...**

_Your robes are getting a little small._

_-Professor Snape_

…

Lorna smiled down at the short sentence. He never liked leaving long, sentimental messages. She opened the box to find a beautiful emerald green robe with silver buttons leading all the way up to a tall neckline, where there was a big buckle with the picture of a doe engraved into it. By the feel of the fabric, Lorna concluded that it was velvet, and yet it was very thin and slipped between her fingers. She hugged it to her chest before laying it back down on her bed.

The next and final present she'd received was from Dumbledore. It was a small square package, and on the front it read 'don't show this to Severus'. Lorna unwrapped it and immediately felt her heart melt as she stared down at the moving picture. It showed her as a little toddler in Severus' chambers at Hogwarts. She was sitting down in a chair while he was messily feeding her some soup. The look in his eyes was unlike anything she'd ever seen before as he stared down into her hazel eyes. They looked loving and caring. Like maybe he was worth something. And that was nothing she'd ever noticed in his eyes. It almost made her sad to see it there in the picture and not now in the present.

Hannah walked up behind her and tried to look over her shoulder, "What's that?"

Lorna quickly shoved the picture against her chest and signed to Hannah, "_Nothing,_" she looked at Hannah and smiled when she noticed her sparkling icy blue hair ties, "_How do you like your presents?_"

Hannah stared strangely at Lorna as she'd put the picture away in her trunk. She just shrugged it off, though.

"They were fine."

After they'd finished their Christmas feast and played a few rounds of snowball with the Gryffindors, Hannah, Lorna, and Lee sat off to the side of the lake. Fred and George had gotten ice-skates for Christmas from their father and were testing them out on the lake's frozen surface. At first, they looked a little funny, holding their arms out and gingerly shuffling around. They even slipped and fell a few times.

Lorna, Hannah, and Lee had to stay focused on the task at hand, though. Deciphering _The Lady of Shalott_. They'd been meeting everyday since the beginning of Christmas break, and they now had three pages translated into English. There were still little bits and pieces, though, that didn't make much sense to Lorna.

"How much do we have left?" Hannah asked as Lorna scribbled down another word into the journal.

"_One hundred and twenty two,_" Lorna answered, flipping through the remaining pages.

"Yeah," Lee mumbled, "We can't finish this within the year. There has to be something we're missing."

Lorna sighed as she continued to write down translations. As she was writing she noticed something in the corner of the page, so small that it would be overlooked.

Elaine of Astolat.

"Lorna!" Lorna clutched her head as the voice rang through, "Look across the lake! I'm there!"

Lorna snapped her head up, but she couldn't see anything but the trees leading into the Forbidden Forest.

"Find me! Please!" the voice screamed, "Save me!"

Lorna collapsed in the snow, her brain throbbing from the pain.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
>THE FORBIDDEN FORREST<p>

As Christmas break drew to a close, all the students made their way back to Hogwarts. Lee, Hannah, and Lorna had made little progress on deciphering _The Lady of Shalott._ After Lorna had fainted, Hannah thought that it would be best if she stayed away from the text for a little while, despite Lorna's protest. So they'd spent the rest of break playing out in the snow and doing some homework that the teachers had left them.

Eventually, the snow from winter was replaced by rain in the spring. And the homework seemed to be piled on more and more as the school year's end came closer. One afternoon, Hannah, Ernie, and Lorna were just finishing up some History homework in the common room. They were studying into famous ancient poems, writing down the symbolism in the writings.

"How long did Dante Alighieri live?" Ernie had asked.

Hannah flipped through some pages to the syllabus, skimming her finger down the list of authors, "1265 to 1351," she answered, "Who's next on the list?"

Lorna looked down at the list of poets, "_Alfred Tennyson, it looks like we need to analyze his poem called-_"

Lorna's hands froze in place as she read the name of the poem. She quickly flipped through the pages and found what she was looking for. She skimmed through it, then shoved her book over to Hannah. Hannah's eyes became wide and her mouth fell agape.

"All this time and it was right here under our noses!" Hannah exclaimed.

Ernie looked nervously between them, "What are you talking about?"

Hannah shushed him and went back to reading the poem, "Judging by the poem, it seems like she was cursed. Left in a tower all her life, forced to weave pictures in a mirror. She looked out the window one day and saw Sir Lancelot. Her curse began taking effect, so she left the tower in search of Lancelot. She died before she reached the shore in her boat."

"Wait," Ernie chimed in, "What's going on?"

At that moment, a loud screech rang out through Lorna's ears, "Lorna, follow me!" Lorna pressed her palms into her ears, "Quickly! Now!"

Lorna got up and ran after the voice, exiting out through the portrait hole. She followed the voice down countless passageways and endless staircases. She ran as fast as she could, never stopping. She pushed herself through lingering groups of students and, eventually, ended her journey at the top of the astronomy tower. Confused, she looked out over the side, trying to figure out what the lady(which Lorna had now deduced that her name was Elaine) was trying to show her. Suddenly, Lorna's eyes became transfixed by a tall structure beyond the lake.

That was the tower that Elaine was pointing out a few weeks ago. It was perfectly concealed by the trees of the forbidden forest, so no one could see it from any of the other parts of the castle, only being visible by the top of the astronomy tower.

That's where she had to go. Then, she'd finally be done with all this madness.

…

Finally, Quidditch game day came. The Gryffindors were going to go up against the Hufflepuffs, and this game would determine who was going to overtake Slytherin. Lorna didn't really care much for sports. She'd wanted her and Hannah to sneak out into the Forbidden Forest while everyone was distracted. Everyone was going to the game today, mostly because Severus was refereeing today and everyone thought it would make for a good laugh. However, Hannah had wanted to go to the game so badly, Lorna would have to go alone.

She'd already had some snacks packed and had a warm cloak folded up in case it got too cold.

"I'm glad you're putting this whole Elaine business behind you," Hannah said to Lorna during breakfast, "You'll like Quidditch a lot."

She'd lied to Hannah. She didn't want her involved anymore in case it got too dangerous. She wasn't going to be gone too long in the forest anyway. She just needed enough time to find the tower and mark it on her "map", which was really just a bunch of messy lines on a piece of parchment.

After they'd finished a hasty breakfast, they started to make their way to the Pitch. Students from every house were filing into the Pitch. There were also a few teachers. Lorna chose a good day to sneak out into the forest.

Lorna pressed a hand to her stomach and tapped Hannah on the shoulder, "_Can you save me a seat? I'm not feeling too good._"

Hannah's face became concerned, "Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the Hospital Wing?"

Lorna shook her head quickly, "_No, I think I'll just go to the bathroom to rest for a little while._"

"Okay…" Hannah hesitated, slowly nodding her head, "I'll see you in a bit."

Lorna and Hannah turned away from each other. After a few steps, Lorna heard a call from behind her, "Lorna!" she turned around and raised her eyebrows questioningly at Hannah, "Please, be careful," Hannah said with a knowing look in her eyes.

Lorna's face softened before she nodded.

…

There were many awful, horrible rumors about the Forbidden Forrest spread throughout the school, mostly passed around by the students. People had said that there were vampires, werewolves, centaurs, even giant spiders(which Lorna didn't really believe was there). Lorna had made sure to learn every fact that she could about the forrest before stepping a single toe into a place that could very well lead to her demise.

She had prepared herself extensively, convincing herself that she'd be able to survive her little trip. Now, that she was there, standing just behind Hagrid's hut and facing the entrance of the forest, she wasn't so sure of herself anymore.

The trees loomed over her creepily, making her feel like an ant compared to the rest of the world. As Lorna glanced further into the gloomy place, she saw exactly how dark it was. Even though the tops of the trees were green and lush(blocking out all sun, making it look like night in the forrest), the trunks were more grey and ashen, adding on to the scary aura that the forrest was known for and meant to have. After all, it had to keep students out.

Lorna started to get an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. She thought she might actually be sick and almost turned back to the castle to go see Madame Pomfrey. She thought maybe she should go back to the Quidditch Pitch and watch the game with Hannah and her other classmates. Well, there was no question about it. She _should_ go back, but _would _she go back? She stood there for a few more minutes before the simple and obvious answer had popped up in her head.

She would go. She had to. She might not get an opportunity like this ever again, and she needed to help this Elaine woman, whoever she was.

She may be breaking the school's rules, but it was the right thing to do in this situation.

She pulled her winter cloak around her body, over the green robes that Severus had got her for Christmas, and pulled the hood up and over her head. She reached into her pack and pulled out her "map", unfolding it within her hands.

She took a deep, calming breath and stepped bravely into the forrest.

As she walked along her sketched out path, she used her wand to carve out little scratches on the tree trunks. Her map was poorly drawn, so she needed a different way to find her way back if she took too long or got lost. As she walked deeper into the forest, she began to hear noises, which put her on edge. She heard howls and hisses and snapping branches. Maybe the rumors had been true, she wondered.

It was a relief when she'd finally found what she was looking for.

The tower was just a little taller than the trees, looking rather plain in appearance. It was a square silo with grey bricks. There was moss and vines growing from the bottom, but it didn't look like they'd made it to the top. She examined the bottom of the tower, trying to find the entrance. She almost walked right by it, as it was hidden by the moss that had grown over it. She tore roughly through the vines and stared resolutely at its wooden surface. There was an elegant, cracked sign that read in curvy letters "Shalott". So the place existed, she thought, but did the lady exist with it?

She tried the door handle halfheartedly. It was locked of course. She needed the keys. She let out a frustrated sigh as she scanned the ground, hoping that Elaine had dropped the keys during her escape from the tower. Sadly, there was nothing on the ground but dirt and dead grass. She rolled her eyes and pulled out her "map". If her drawings were correct, then the Black Lake was just a little ways north from where she was. She turned around and headed towards the Lake.

When she'd reached it, she found a boat, but it was unlike the ones the students had arrived to Hogwarts in. It was as long as a grown woman would be, and was painted black. The paint was starting to peel though and the bottom of the boat was covered in barnacles and some disgusting green gunk. There was a small oil lamp tied to the front of the boat, attached to a small golden ornament. She looked at the side, knowing that if the poem was accurate, there would be a name etched into the side of the boat.

And there was.

**...**

_Elaine of Astolat  
><em>_The Lady of Shalott_

**...**

Lorna's breath caught in her throat. So the legend was true. The Lady of Shalott, Elaine of Astolat, she really did exist. Lorna _had _to get into that tower. It was the only way. However, she had to get back to school first. It was almost dark out, and this boat was her easiest way back at the moment.

Then she heard it.

"_That's her._"

"Are you sure, my Lord?"

"_I'm sure of it._"

She whipped her body around, staring wide eyed at her attackers…attackER. There was only one man but two voices. At least Lorna had thought there'd been two voices. No, she could have _sworn _there were two voices. She did not recognize the man before her, though. He wore a long dark cloak, his dark hood covering his face.

Now, Lorna was terrified.

She should not have entered the forrest.

"_Kill her, you fool!_"

And Lorna ran. She shoved past her attacker and pushed her way through the dark forest. She could hear him running not far behind her. Her breath came out raggedly as she hurtled over and ducked under fallen trees. His footsteps were getting closer and closer. He wasn't giving up.

As she was climbing over a particularly large trunk, she heard him shout out, "_Mobilicorpus!_" and she was pushed off her perch. She landed awkwardly on her right ankle, opening her mouth in a silent cry of pain as her ankle broke with a sickening crack. She lay there for a few seconds before standing and trying to limp away.

"_Crucio._" Lorna fell over once again, gritting her teeth as excruciating, unbearable pain shot through her body. This continued for a long while. Then her attacker finally stopped and moved to stand over the pathetic, crying heap known as Lorna Dušek. He placed his booted foot on her shoulder and roughly kicked her over so she was laying on her back.

"_Stupid girl, coming here alone._"

She could feel her consciousness slipping away as he continued his speech. She kept blacking out. When she opened her eyes next, the man had abruptly ran away, frightened. Her eyes shut again as she fell asleep.

"_Rennervate_."

She opened her eyes and came face to face with her rescuer, Severus Snape. He lifted her head and pressed a vial to her lips. Judging by the awful taste, she realized that it was a pain killer. He set her head down and began lifting up the skirt of her robes, exposing her broken ankle. He cast "_Episkey,_" and she winced as her wound got boiling hot, then let out a sigh as it cooled down to an almost frozen state.

Severus picked her up in his arms like she was a baby and he began walking back to the castle. Lorna looked up sadly at him. His face was abnormally pale and when he looked back at her, his eyes were filled with both worry and relief.

"We're going to talk about this," he said, tightening his grip on her, "I won't deduct points or tell anyone about this. I'll let it go. But don't you ever, and I mean _ever_, do this again, Lorna."

Lorna nodded as she rested her head on his shoulder.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

DREAMING OF ELAINE

Lorna had become extremely depressed in the following weeks. Severus had not uttered a word to her since the incident. Hannah had been hurt by Lorna's actions and wasn't acting the same. Final exams were just an absolute nightmare. Lorna couldn't find room in her brain to think or remember anything. It was a great relief when she'd finished her last exam and exited the classroom for the final time until next year.

Lorna and Hannah walked out towards the lake, ready to enjoy the sun. They saw the Weasley twins and Lee by the water, tickling the squid, and immediately went to join them. Her and Hannah sat lazily by the shoreline as Lee and the twins joked around and tried to splash them. Finally, having had enough of their sloth like behavior, the boys picked up the girls as they began kicking and laughing and dropped them straight into the cold water. The girls emerged within seconds, completely drenched and their hair sticking to their faces.

A war had officially begun.

It was boys against girls as they clumsily tackled each other down and splashed each other. The boys were much stronger though, and the girls were quickly dominated by the opposing team.

But soon it became too much fun, as Professor Sprout came to the shoreline and reprimanded them for acting like fools. She told them to get inside immediately and dry off before she deducted house points.

They hurried on up to the seventh floor bathroom, where they could hang out without fear of being interrupted. Hannah and Lorna smiled at each other, indicating the end of their conflicting.

The twins hung out with them for a little while before finally leaving the trio to discuss other matters that still had to be concluded.

"Have we figured anything out about Elaine?" Lee asked.

Lorna looked up at Hannah guiltily before signing, "_I went into the Forbidden Forest and found her tower._"

"Nice going, Red!" Lee exclaimed, "So when are we going to go take care of that?"

"We can't," Hannah interjected, "The doors are locked and she didn't find a key. Why can't we just leave it be and let the poor girl rest?"

"_She's obviously not resting, Hannah!_" Lorna signed, "_We have to do something, we can't just give up now! We've come so far…_"

"Then we should tell a teacher, Lorna! I mean, look at us. We're acting like delinquents. We aren't like Harry Potter and his friends, and we're lucky that they're in last place for the House Cup because it would be so embarrassing for Hufflepuff to come in last!"

"Geez, just calm down, Hannah!" Lee said, "The sooner that we figure out what we're supposed to do, the sooner that we can be done with this and save Elaine."

"We don't even know if she's real," Hannah protested, "She only speaks to Lorna, anyways."

Lee suddenly got a wide eyed look on his face, "That's it! Hannah, you're a genius!"

Hannah's eyebrows knit together, "What are you on about now?"

Lee knelt down closer to Lorna, "You told us that you see her in your dreams right?"

Lorna nodded and held up her hands, "_I haven't heard from her in a while, but yes._"

"We just need her to reach out to you again," Lee explained, "Tonight! We'll do it tonight!"

"Wait! We'll do what tonight?" Hannah squinted at him.

"Lorna, Hannah, you both meet me in here tonight at around eleven or twelve, that way no one spots you. I'll explain more later!"

And with that, Lee sprung up and ran out of the bathroom, leaving two utterly confused Hufflepuffs in the dust.

…

As eleven o'clock rolled around, Hannah and Lorna started becoming more anxious. They had no idea what Lee had planned for them. They waited in the common room as each of their roommates slumped down into their beds. A few minutes after everyone had gone to bed, the duo snuck out of the common room and up to the seventh floor bathroom.

When they got there, Lee had already been waiting for them. He'd had a small sleeping bag laid out on the floor and a cauldron that had a bubbling liquid inside of it. Judging by the smell, Lorna guessed that it was a sleeping draught.

"What's the plan?" Hannah asked.

"Come on, Lorna!" Lee grabbed Lorna's hand, ignoring Hannah's question.

Lee lead Lorna to the sleeping bag and sat her down on top of it, "Look what I found."

He pulled out a silver necklace with a small picture charm at the base of it. Upon closer inspection, Lorna realized that it was a moving portrait of Sir Lancelot. Lorna's eyes went wide and she looked up at Lee.

"Turns out he used to go to school here," Lee informed her, "The necklace belonged to Elaine."

"How did you get that?" Hannah asked.

"I found it in Filch's desk. It's been there since forever," Lee turned back to Lorna, "What we're going to do is give you a sleeping potion and, since you have her necklace, you'll be able to channel Elaine through your dreams and be able to figure out how to get into the tower."

"No way!" Hannah interjected, "That could put Lorna in danger, we can't just let that happen!"

"_What other choice do we have?_" Lorna signed.

"We could tell a teacher," Hannah said.

"_I'm not going to do that, Hannah. They won't believe me._"

Hannah glared at Lorna before slumping against a stall door, "Fine, Lorna. Do what you want."

Lorna nodded and turned toward Lee. He placed the necklace in her hand and handed her a vial of sleeping draught.

"Remember, Lorna, no matter how real it may seem, none of it is actually happening to you. Me and Hannah will be here when you wake up every single time. Don't be afraid."

Lorna let out a long breath before downing the draught. She laid down gently onto the sleeping bag, making sure the necklace was tightly wrapped around her hand. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

…

The sun was so bright. She laid there a while before finally she opened her eyes. Her wavy blonde hair was in her eyes and a man's hand brushed it behind her ear. He smiled down at her and their noses touched gently.

Then they started speaking in a language that Lorna couldn't understand.

Another woman entered the scene then. A woman with thick brown hair and big brown eyes. She knelt down next to them and jerked Elaine by the hair, throwing her into the lake.

…

Lorna bolted straight up. She had a cold sweat and was looking around frantically. She grabbed another vial of sleeping draught from Lee and downed it within a few seconds.

…

Elaine walked down the halls of Hogwarts, hugging her books to her chest. When she rounded the corner, she came face to face with the woman from the other dream. However, she was snogging another man. Her and the man immediately separated, looking at Elaine with surprise.

Elaine slowly backed away and then began walking away from the couple, a silent deviant smile meeting her lips.

As the day went on, Elaine approached Lancelot and started speaking the language that Lorna couldn't understand.

Suddenly she was met with a painful slap to the face. When Elaine straightened up, she saw the brown eyed girl again. She began shouting out more words. Judging by Elaine's painful reaction, it was the curse that started this all.

When Elaine opened her eyes she was inside the tower.

…

Lorna's eyes jumped open. She felt really groggy and sick. And even though she didn't want to, she chugged another vial of draught.

…

This was it. This was the memory that Lorna needed.

Elaine walked down the steps of the tower. When she came to the door she sang a small arthurian excerpt. Lorna made sure to memorize it and take note of it.

Once Elaine was outside, the rain drenched her hair and made it stick to her face. She got into the little black boat and pushed off of the shoreline. As she was sailing across the lake, she began to grow sleepy and her breathing became heavy.

The next morning, the rain had cleared up. The boat had beached onto the shoreline.

Students from Hogwarts were all gathered around the boat looking down, their eyes full of sorrow, at the almost lifeless body of Elaine.

Lancelot broke through the crowd frantically. He kneelt down next to Elaine, his eyes full of tears. Elaine's fingers lightly brushed his hand, and he squeezed tightly around her hand. He caressed her cheek and whispered something to her.

She smiled and lightly brushed her lips against his before she drifted off into her eternal sleep.

…

Lorna woke up then, holding her throat and coughing. She couldn't breathe. Hannah and Lee woke up quickly and were at her side. Lorna got up to go into a bathroom stall, but tripped halfway there. She practically crawled the rest of the way, and all the contents of her stomach were released into the toilet bowl.

Hannah jogged up behind her and held her hair back so it wouldn't get messy. After Lorna was done throwing up, she leaned against the wall in the fetal position, crying. Her mouth hung open as she let out silent wails.

The bathroom door burst open, and in walked Severus. He pushed Hannah aside and knelt down next to Lorna, holding her face and looking into her eyes. He got up, stomped over to Lee, and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"How many draughts has she drunk?" Severus yelled at the boy.

"I don't know!"

"What do you mean? You haven't been watching her?"

"I'm sorry! I don't know, we've all been asleep!"

Severus looked down at the sleeping bag and picked up Elaine's necklace. He let out a frustrated groan before turning to pick up Lorna. "You're going to the Hospital Wing, you two will follow me. There will definitely be penalties for this."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

THE LONELIEST GIRL

Lorna laid down on her side on the small cot. Her arm was tucked under her head and her eyes were still watery. When Severus had carried her in, she noticed Harry Potter was already in there, with Ron and Hermione faithfully at his bed side. He appeared to be asleep. Lorna knew everyone would be talking about it soon enough.

Severus waited for the other teachers, pacing up and down the room with a disapproving glare. Lorna knew that she wasn't going to get out of this one so easy. Lee and Hannah sat next to the bed, Lee trying to look as calm as possible and Hannah looking like she was going to die.

Finally, McGonagall, Sprout, and Dumbledore made it. It was still very early in the morning, so everyone was still in their pajamas.

"I suppose there's a logical reason as to why Ms. Dušek was hospitalized at this hour?" said McGonagall.

"It's our fault, Professor!" Hannah spoke up.

Lorna sat upright and held up her hands, "_Hannah, don't!_"

"Stop it, Lorna! This has gone on for way too long!" Hannah glared at her, then her face softened when she looked at the professors, "She's been communicating with a spirit all year. Lorna thinks that she needs help…"

The professors exchanged glances before Professor Sprout spoke, "What do you mean, Dearie?"

Hannah exchanged a look with Lorna and Lee, "Her name is Elaine. Elaine of Astolat. We don't think her spirit has moved on yet. And for whatever reason, she's really interested in Lorna and just won't leave her alone."

"Elaine has been dead for centuries…" McGonagall gasped, "Why would she choose now to come out of hiding, and why would she choose Lorna?"

"That's what we were trying to figure out," Lee said, "We found Elaine's necklace and we thought that maybe we could channel her and try to figure out what happened to her and how to save her."

"And you thought that you would figure it out by forcing sleeping draught down her throat?" Severus scolded.

"_They didn't force me!_" Lorna quickly added, "_I took the drink myself. I wanted to do it!_"

Madame Pomfrey rounded the corner and pushed through the crowd of professors, "You're lucky you didn't drink too much," she said as she pushed a vial of water to her lips, "If you'd drank anymore, you would've gone into an eternal sleep. Sleeping draughts can be very dangerous in heavy doses.

McGonagall looked down at the trio sadly before turning to Dumbledore, "What should we do, Professor?"

Dumbledore looked at all three of them and then looked back at McGonagall, "We'll do nothing."

"Nothing?!" Severus bellowed, "This girl could've died and we're just going to ignore there ignorance?!"

"Calm down, Severus," Dumbledore held up his hand, "They were just trying to help someone who hasn't had rest for years. Should we really be punishing them for trying to do a good deed?"

"It's not about that!" said Severus, "They shouldn't be meddling into things they don't understand. They should've told one of us immediately after it happened," Severus turned to glare at Lorna, "Something has to be done."

Dumbledore smiled gently, "Very well, Professor," Dumbledore walked over and sat down on the edge of Lorna's bed, "You will each write a five page essay on why what you did was wrong."

They each sighed gratefully before Hannah added in, "Thank you, Professor. We'll do it."

Lorna nodded as Dumbledore stood from his seat, "Good. Then we should take our leave and go back to bed. I'll allow Mr. Jordan and Ms. Abbott to visit with Lorna for a little while longer…_but only _so they discuss their papers."

Dumbledore gave a small wink as the professors walked out of the Hospital Wing.

"_I know how to get into the tower,_" Lorna signed.

"Lorna-"

"_Hannah, please listen to me! I know what to do. Just please, stand with me just one last time?_"

Hannah let out a sigh and gave a pleading look at Lee. When she realized that he wasn't going to abandon Lorna, she nodded, "Okay, Lorna. What's the plan?"

Lorna smiled as she began telling them exactly what to do.

…

It was late into the night when the trio snuck out of the castle, unseen. They made their way across the grounds and into the Forbidden Forrest. Hannah kept screaming and jumping at every single sound that was made. It was a Godsend when they finally made it to the tower. Lorna handed a piece of paper to Hannah.

"_Sing this._"

Hannah nodded cautiously and placed her shaky hand on the wooden door. Her light voice rang through the air, and the door started to glow around her hand and disappear. Lee's mouth hung open and he stared mesmerizingly at it. After Hannah's song was over, the door had completely vanished and they walked on inside.

The inside of the tower was also covered in vines, and it was very musky and cold. The whole area smelled of mold and rotting wood. The stairs were caved in, so there would be no way of getting to the top. Elaine had to be somewhere else in the tower.

"Maybe we should go back?" Hannah tested.

"_No. There has to be something here,_" Lorna signed, "_Look around on the ground. Pick up anything that looks interesting._"

The trio spread out through the tiny space, tearing thick vines off of wardrobes and tables. Lee tore some vines off the ground and revealed a wooden trapdoor.

"Guys, I found something!"

Lorna and Hannah were instantly by his side, helping each other lift the heavy door. They looked down into the dark abyss.

"What do you think is down there?" Hannah wondered.

Lorna reached into her pack and pulled out an ice mice. She held it over the trap door and dropped it down. They listened carefully as the treat continued to fall and hit the bottom with a small splash. Lorna nodded and held up her hands, "_There's water,_" Lorna leaned her head down and listened closely. She heard Elaine's voice ringing throughout the space, sounding distant, "_She's in there._"

Lorna dropped down into the water, followed shortly after by Lee and Hannah.

"Lumos!" Hannah called out, and a ball of light lit up the room from her wand. Hannah brought up a jar and stuffed the light into it.

The room was like a huge cave. There was no entrance or exit, except for the trapdoor above them. They each took a deep breath and dived down into the water. There was a small tunnel leading off from the bottom and they followed this twisting passage until they came to another open cave area. This one was lighted, though, by a giant glowing crystal on the far end of the room.

Stalagmites and stalactites filled the room, they noticed as they pulled themselves up onto the rocky ground. As they walked closer and closer to the blue crystal, they noticed that there was somebody frozen inside of it. It was Elaine, her hands folded over her chest and her eyes closed. She looked strangely serene.

Then a scream echoed through the cave and everything froze over, including the water. There was now no way to escape. And out of the crystal came the spirit of Elaine. The spirit that Lorna had been communicating with all year. She had sad eyes and her lip trembled. Her black robes were now tattered and torn, and her once beautiful face was now sullen with sunken cheekbones. She broke into a smile and floated down to Lorna, placing a hand onto Lorna's cheek. Lorna felt a painful chill there.

"You came," Elaine's voice shook, "I can't believe you found me."

"_What do you want from me?_" Lorna asked immediately.

Elaine's smile grew wider, "Isn't it obvious?"

The trio exchanged fearful looks and Elaine giggled as she rose up above them.

"I've been dead for centuries, completely forgotten by the outside world. The final years of my life were _stolen _from me by that wretched woman, Guinevere. She just wouldn't let me have him, even though she had Arthur, she just had to have it all! Don't you see? I want my life back!" Elaine screamed, she softened and smiled, "Obviously, I can't have _my _life back," She lowered herself and twirled a lock of Lorna's hair around her finger, "But I can take yours…"

"No!" Hannah yelled, pointing her wand at the spirit, "We won't let you have Lorna!"

Elaine laughed loudly and swiped her hand. Once she did that, Hannah was thrown to one side of the cave and knocked out against a stalagmite.

"Hannah!" Lee shouted. He turned on Elaine and pulled out his wand, "You'll pay for that…Stupefy!"

Elaine twirled around it and swiped her hand at Lee sending him flying back onto the ice. Lorna tried to go help them, but Elaine grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up into the air. As she was choking Lorna, she began sucking out Lorna's soul. Lorna could feel her body becoming stiff and cold while Elaine's face was gaining color and her hand was becoming warm.

Lorna quickly reached into her pocket to pull out her wand but instead pulled out Elaine's necklace. This was what was keeping her in the world. Lorna took both sides in her hands and ripped the silver chain in two. This caused Elaine to double over in pain. Suddenly, a blinding white light surrounded them. Lorna couldn't see anything for a while. Then her eyes began to focus, and she saw Elaine standing above her, completely broken down and in tears.

"Please…help me…" she whispered, "Save me…Don't let me turn into one of those horrible creatures…"

Lorna had no idea what she was talking about, "_What creature? What do you mean?_"

She wailed in pain and held a hand to her heart, "Please! The necklace…Destroy his face! Please, it hurts so much!"

Lorna looked down at the destroyed trinket then back at the broken woman. She nodded before placing it on the ground. Lorna grabbed hold of the woman's hand and raised her fist above the necklace. She brought her fist down onto Lancelot's face, destroying the necklace for good.

Elaine let out an elated sigh as her body began to glow and separate. The specks looked like little fireflies as each one broke off and swirled around her body.

"Thank you."

Elaine of Astolat, the Lady of Shalott, was finally resting.

…

They had snuck back to the castle before anyone knew they were gone. Hannah snuck down to the Hufflepuff common room and Lee to the Gryffindor common room. Lorna had to sneak back into the Hospital Wing without being caught.

She did not expect the Headmaster to be there waiting for her. She widened her eyes and held up her hands.

"_Professor! I didn't expect to see you here. I was just in the bathroom._"

"I know where you were, Lorna," he smiled, "And I must say, well done on finally finding peace for sweet Elaine."

"_You're not mad? Even though we went against your instructions?_"

"You will still have to write your paper, but we'll keep this as our secret," he winked.

She smiled and nodded, "_Thank you, Professor!_"

Dumbledore continued, "I sense that you have some questions. Battling with Elaine, I wouldn't blame you."

Lorna looked at the ground and raised her hands, "_She said something about turning into a creature. What was she talking about?_"

Dumbledore exhaled before answering, "There are many horrible creatures in this world that do terrible things. One of them is what's known as a dementor," Lorna nodded as he continued, "Not much is known about them. We're still trying to figure that out. But I have a theory that they are souls too far lost to be saved. They thrive on feeding from the happiness of others. What she tried to do was take your soul, a soul of a very powerful, young witch, which would've been one of the only ways to save herself. She would come back to life and you would've died."

"_And what about the necklace? I didn't have it with me when I left, Professor Snape had it._"

"There are certain objects that will appear to those that need it most. You were in danger and the necklace knew that you would need it, so it appeared in your pocket."

Lorna nodded, "_I just have one more question._"

"And what's that?"

"_Why did she choose me? I can't be as powerful as she thought I was could I?_"

Dumbledore gave her a knowing smile and sighed, "You are much stronger than you believe you are, Lorna. And the world needs you in it. But you don't need to know why yet. You wouldn't be able to handle the news yet. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even next year, but I promise that someday you'll know your purpose."

Lorna sighed sadly but did not question him. There was no use in arguing with one of the most powerful wizards.

…

The end of year feast was embarrassing for the Hufflepuffs. The Gryffindors were brought up to first place, leaving last palce for Hufflepuffs. However, it was worth it seeing the look on the Slytherins' faces when they figured out they'd lost.

It turned out that Lorna had not done as terrible as she thought she'd done on her final exams. The only exam that was below average was her Transfiguration exam, but she'd always struggled in that subject.

Severus actually let Lorna ride the train home "solely for appearances" and he promised that he would pick her up after all the students had left. She sat excitedly in her train compartment, she'd never been on a train before. In the cart with her was Lee, Fred and George, Hannah, and Ernie. They exchanged mailing addresses and bought sweet treats from the trolly to share.

"Lorna, you should come to my house this summer!" Hannah exclaimed, "It'll be so much fun! You can meet my mum and grammy!"

"I thought we were going to do something?" Ernie chimed in.

"We won't be hanging out _all _summer, Ernie. Don't worry, I'll make time for everyone."

"We'd invite you to the Burrow," Fred said.

"But we've got so many people there as it is, and I think Ron wants to invite Harry Potter and his girlfriend," George added.

"Did you hear about what they did?" Lee asked, his eyes wide, "Apparently they beat the dog up on the third floor and then they met He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Professor Quirrell was killed because of it!"

Hannah gasped, "Oh my, are they alright?"

Fred and George laughed, "They're fine!"

"Yeah, they were with Harry after all!" Ernie said.

"We heard that you three were up to some trouble too," Fred said, pointing at Lorna.

"Come on, spill! What happened?" George begged.

But the trio just looked at each other and smiled. They wouldn't ever tell a soul what happened in the tower.


End file.
